For half a century, SCC EVENTS with BERLIN-MARATHON has shaped the marathon scene both nationally and internationally with the Berlin Marathon – and for more than 20 of those years, we at mika:timing have had the privilege of being part of that success story.

Pioneering with ChampionChip and ARD

It all started in 2001, when we were asked to provide live race times for the ARD TV broadcast. We already had experience with live data from the IRONMAN in Roth (broadcast by ZDF), and word had reached ARD.

At the time, ChampionChip was the go-to technology for marathon timing—and it served us well. I still remember having to manually align the top 100 men and top 50 women with the hand-timed results and the referees’ lists. There were often discrepancies in both the times and the order. Back then, as well as today, we had full trust in the tech and our processes. So it always felt strange to me that the manually recorded times were treated as official. That’s a rule I never really made peace with ...

Even in those early days, the organizers, and ARD had high standards for broadcast quality. The goal was to deliver split times every 5 km in real time using timing systems and to show them in the TV graphics with minimal delay. To transmit that data from the course, we relied on both GSM (2G at 9.6 or 14.4 Kbps) and ISDN. We had ISDN lines installed all along the route, which was a logistical challenge year after year in cooperation with Deutsche Telekom. But with ISDN as our main channel and GSM as backup, we were well-equipped for real-time processing of race data. ARD was happy and at the same time, we were able to display start, split, and finish times live on the internet.

Milestones and Highlights of Our Collaboration

Over the years, we’ve supported SCC EVENTS in many ways at the BERLIN-MARATHON, including:

• From the very beginning, we’ve scanned ChampionChips live during race packet pickup—only activating chips that were actually handed out.
• Working with the BERLIN-MARATHON, RBB and Netventure (our TV graphics partner), we implemented real-time display of split times in the broadcast. The requirement was: no more than 0.1 seconds between crossing the mat and displaying the TV graphic!
• In 2012, we introduced live bib printing at the expo.
• Together with the medical team, we launched the Medical Information System—allowing additional participant medical data to be captured and accessed via our SportsPro system by authorized users.
• Our high-speed finish line camera has been a fixture for years.
• We’ve long supported the operations crew with GPS tracking, letting organizers follow the lead pack and the tail end live on a map in our intranet.
• For the past two years, our LED displays have been featured on the BMW lead vehicles, showing race data and sponsor logos in a way that looks fantastic on TV.
• And last year, we developed the official mobile app for the BERLIN-MARATHON. It turned out great—a real highlight of our collaboration.

Of course, one of the fan favorites over the years has been our online leaderboard, where people could follow the race in real-time, particularly the leaders. Our project team loved it too. We would often be in the finish line container, glued to the screens, checking the splits and the projected finish times, holding our breath.Sometimes even witnessing a world record in the making. And yes, we've had the privilege of seeing several records fall at BERLIN-MARATHON.

Behind the Scenes of a Marathon Weekend

Even in years without world records, there were always deeply emotional, almost meditative moments I truly cherished. To give you a behind-the-scenes look at how a marathon weekend unfolds from the perspective of mika:timing:

• It all begins with planning, preparation, and testing. This is when we take a wide view, ensuring that we haven't overlooked any details.
• Then comes race week. We prepare the gear, load the vehicles, and narrow our focus to the planned tasks.
• On-site, we set up our infrastructure. At the expo, we set up live bib printing and helpdesk stations. We move into our finish line container and install our technology. Focus shifts to action and implementation.
• As race packet pickup is already underway, our attention turns to the course on Saturday. We test the ordered communication lines at the start and along the route, finalize the finish line setup, and make any necessary adjustments.
• And then: race day. It’s go time. We’re in “super focus mode.” Everything runs on checklists:
  • Set up timing systems
  • Final system checks
  • It’s like a rocket launch countdown, but unlike SpaceX, we can’t abort!
• The race starts. Now the systems run automatically, and we monitor everything. We’re fully dialed in, the adrenaline is flowing, and we’re in the zone.
• We watch the elites perform on our dashboards and on TV. We celebrate every on-screen split time and every push notification for the favorites we’ve marked in the app.
• We’re closely watching the rise in user numbers—both on the web results and within the app—while keeping a constant eye on the key performance parameters of our IT systems, including cloud services.
• The men have crossed the finish line—we move fast to compare our recorded times with those of the referees. Once everything aligns, we ratify the results in our system, and the official times are broadcast to the world in real time.
• The tension rises once again as the first women cross the finish line. We double-check the times against the referees’ records and release the official results in our system.
• We celebrate the athletic performances—and now and then, a record-breaking moment gives us something extra to cheer about.
• All systems are running smoothly. User numbers continue to rise—and so do the number of finishers. The marathon is only 2.5 hours in.
• Tens of thousands of runners are still out on the course, pushing toward the finish line with relentless determination. Our systems are going strong, generating live results and sharing them with the world.
• Now that the elite race is done, the tension slowly starts to ease—we’re coming out of the tunnel.
• At some point, I step out of the finish-line container and make my way to the finish area. I soak in the endless stream of runners arriving—exhausted, overjoyed, and proud of what they’ve achieved. Every single time, it gives me goosebumps.
• Yes, I know—the race continues for several more hours. And of course, we handle follow-ups and debriefs.

But in that moment, one thing is crystal clear:
I really do have the best job in the world.

Thank you, BERLIN-MARATHON, for more than 20 years of collaboration! I can’t wait for the next 20. We already have a few new ideas…

Words by Harald Mika, 2025